Cucinar Cantando Cookbook Giveaway

Contests & Giveaways
So apparently, this is my new heroin (to be clear, I never had old heroin!!)
This contest also comes from my new best friends over at Foodie BlogRoll. Since I'm new to the site, and to blogging in general, I can not feel but a little sad that I've really been missing out. This is me, making amends.
The question asked in this Cucinar Cantando giveaway is "Why do you love to cook for other people?"

Why do I love to cook for other people? Very simple. It brings me great joy to know that I am making someone else happy. I have spent most of my life trying to make other happy and putting myself last. But with cooking, I've found I can reap the rewards of my labor. Even if it's room temperature at times!

I don't have a very advanced palette by any stretch of the imgination. But I am learning through cooking for others, how to expand that and learn complex flavor combinations. Definitely thinking outside the box. This is scary sometimes, but it's making me grow as a person and have more confidence in the choices I make.

It makes me happy. And this makes my family happy. And at the end of the day that's all I'm about.

Iron Foodie 2010 Contest

This is the first contest I have ever entered involving food. I am so excited to be a part of the food blogging community and anxious to see where it leads me. Foodieblogroll is a fantastic site dedicated to growing and promoting small business and food blogging. (This is also an excellent time to mention them for the Cucinar Cantando Cookbook Contest & Giveaway and the Spread the Word Tote Giveaway!)


Why do I want to compete in this challenge?
It would be the first time I put my culinary/visionary chops to the test. I think it a valuable experience and whether I were to win or not, I am putting myself out there to compete. And who couldn't use a $200 gift card to Marx Foods!

Whose kitchen would I like to spend the day in?
Hands downs it's Thomas Keller. The French Laundry is one of the finest restaurants in the country and his contribution to American cuisine is not only legendary but completely stand alone. He is what every foodie, food blogger, chef, or person on the planet hope to become and to be half as successful as his failures would be a dream. He has Michelin stars to spare and was a consultant on Disney Pixar's Ratatouille. If that isn't enough for you, I don't know what is!

What morsel am I most likely to swipe?
It would be that perfect little bite of potato puree that is left after they finish their filet mignon. The quintessential, radiant, mouthwatering (seriously, I'm salivating) succulence of the au jus and the potato. Marinating in that juice. It's heaven on a fork.

My childhood in one meal?
This may seem silly to you and that's ok. It would be a peanut butter sandwich that my mom made me for school. By the time lunch rolls around, the peanut butter and bread have melded together and the sandwich has taken on the crinkle and wrinkles of the tinfoil. That, washed down with the pint of whole milk in the cardboard carton is my childhood. (You should know, I still smush my perfectly good peanut butter sandwiches in tinfoil, 20 years later.)

The one mainstream food I can't stand?
Miso. I can't stand the look, the smell, the texture, the existence of it. Yuck!

Our Christmas List

With it now being November 1st and holiday season right around the corner, The Panini Press Blog has put together a Christmas Wishlist of all things panini. From presses to books, here is a quick list of our favorites this season at the lowest prices available.




Breville Panini Press - Williams-Sonoma $119.95




Hamilton Beach Panini Press - Target $41.49




Retro Panini Grill by DeLonghi - Foodnetworkstore.com $59.95




Le Creuset Panini Pan - Williams-Sonoma $89.95




Le Creuset Panini Pan Lid - Williams-Sonoma $80.00



Wüsthof Classic 8" Panini Knife - Williams-Sonoma $99.95

Amazon.com $16.47



Williams-Sonoma Exclusive $17.95




Foodnetworkstore.com $13.26




Foodnetworkstore.com $11.37




Amazon.com $10.85




Barnes & Noble $17.00

Honorable mention goes to Chef'n Panini Press Spatula from Williams-Sonoma $19.95

What's on your foodie wishlist?

Asian Pear with Gorgonzola on Fig and Walnut Bread

Here it is! Our very first panini! This one was inspired by the classic pear and gorgonzola salad, which is usually topped with toasted walnuts.
Well, here at The Panini Press Blog, we like to take ideas and run with them!
To assist you in your panini endeavors are step by step photos of each ingredient as it is prepared.

Ingredients

• 1 Asian pear
• 1 package Gorgonzola chunk
• 1 small loaf Fig & Walnut Bread (this one from Royal Crown Panetico in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice

Serves 2




Gorgonzola



Asian pear




Slice pear into about 1/4 inch pieces




Place immediately in lemon juice to avoid browning




Fig & Walnut loaf





Slice and add the cheese (note: you can also use crumbled cheese) 




Top with pears that have been skinned




Drizzle with honey





Place panini on preheated medium high grill and brush with olive oil
3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the bread




Voila!




Asian Pear with Gorgonzola on Fig and Walnut Bread Panini



The tangy, savory flavor of the Gorgonzola pairs fantastically with the sweet juiciness of the pear. The crunch of the walnut bread adds depth of flavor and substance to the panini. The honey adds a little sticky warmth to it all making it an unbeatable combination.

Although not something I have ever eaten before, it was definitely something very different and fancy!